Fruit feeding, impaling, peeling, trimming, celling, coring, and splitting apparatus



Dec. 29, 1953 w. B. cooNs 2,664,129

FRUIT FEEDING. IMPALING. FEELING, 'rR1uMING.

CELLING, CQRING, AND SPLITTING APPARATUS Filed June 12. 195o a sheets-sheet 1 W. B. COONS y FRUIT FEEDING, IMPALING. FEELING. TRIIMING,A

CELLING, CORING, AND SPLITTING APPARATUS Filed June l2, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 MMW Dec. 29, 1953 w. B. cooNs 2,664,129

FRUIT FEEDING, IMPALING. FEELING, TRIMMING, CELLING, CORING; AND SPLITTING APPARATUS Flled June 12 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 29, 1953 w. B. cooNs 2,664,129

FRUIT FEEDING, IMPALING. FEELING. TRIMMING, CELLING, CORING, AND SPLITTING APPARATUS Filed June l2, 1950 8 Smets-Sheet 4 Dec. 29, 1953 w. B. cooNs 2,664,129

FRUIT FEEDING, IMPALING. FEELING, TRIMMING,

CELLING, CORING, AND SPLITTING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Shet 5 Filed June 12, 1950 A vwumztm.

//MAIPD C' n; F1a-1 1@ y Q( Dec. A29, 1953 2,664,129

W. B. COONS FRUIT FEEDING, IMPALING. FEELING, TRIMMING,

CELLING, CORING, AN

D SPLITTING APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 l: l E l 7 97 67 Dec. 29, 1953 w. B. cooNs 2,664,129

FRUIT FEEDING, IMPALING. FEELING, TRIMMING,

CELLING. CORING, AND SPLITTING APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheeti 7 Patented Dec. 29, 1953 OFFICE FRUIT FEEDING, IMPALING, FEELING, TRIMMING, CELLING, CORING, AND SPLITTING APPARATUS Willard B. Coons, Santa Clara, Calif.

Application June 12, 1950, Serial No. 167,502

1 15 Claims.

The present invention relates to the art of preparing pears, apples and like fruitfor canning. Before fruit of this type is ready for canning it must be peeled, seed celled, cored, trimmed and stemmed and is usually sliced into two or more segments, and the present invention aims to provide a machine which will automatically perorm all the mentioned fruit-preparing operalons.

It is an object of my invention to provide a fruit preparing machine, of the type referred to, which combines high efficiency of operation with simplicity of mechanism.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine of the type characterized which processes pears, apples and like fruit, preparatory to canning, with a minimum of waste so that it yields a high number of cases of canned fruit per ton of processed fruit.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a machine, of the type referred to, that will complete all the above mentioned fruit-preparing operations in a minimum of time.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a fruit-preparing machine which is of such construction that the overall time required for properly and completely processing an individual pear, apple or like fruit, is materially reduced as compared with the known fruit preparing machines, and yet the actual peeling operation is arranged to proceed so slowly as to hold waste of fruit flesh incurred in peeling at a minimum.

One of the specific objects of the invention is to provide a machine, of the type referred to,

which is of such construction that all the above named fruit preparing operations are carried out without the necessity of transferring the fruit to different processing stations so as to reduce the danger of bruising, or otherwise injuring, the fruit to a minimum. In this connection it is another specific object of my invention to provide a fruit processing machine, of the type referred to, which is of such construction that all the above named fruit preparing operations are carried out with the fruit remaining in the same place and position Within the machine.

Furthermore it is an object of my invention to provide a fruit processing machine, of the type referred to, that will satisfactorily perform, whether the individual specimens of the processed fruit are soft or hard.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a machine, of the type referred to, that will satisfactorily perform on fruit of varying sizes so that there is no need to grade the fruit prior to delivering it to the machine.

Still another object of my invention is to arrange a fruit processing machine, of the type re ferred to, in such a manner as to provide a maximum time interval for delivering the fruit to the receiving end of the machine, without reducing the eiiective fruit-processing phase of its operational cycle, so that a plurality of said machines may be combined into a synchronously operating unit that can readily be supplied by a single operator.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide an improved seed-ceiling mechanism for fruit preparing machines of the type referred to, In this connection it is a specific object of my invention to provide holding means for pears, apples and like fruit which engage the interior of, and are adapted to rotate, the fruit about its center axis, without interfering with the operation of a seed-ceiling knife.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide improved means for cutting 01T the stem ends yof pears. In this connection it is a specific object of my invention to provide an improved mechanism, of the type referred to, that is adapted to cut oli the stem ends of pears along a substantially horizontal plane and at uniform depth measured from the tip of the fruit dsregarding variations in the height of the individual specimens thereof.

These and other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof and wherein Figure l is an elevation of a vertical longitudinal section through a multiple pear-processing machine embodying my invention, taken along line l-l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of said machine comprising six ganged fruit processing units with certain stationary components of said units omitted to show more clearly the moving components thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a horizontal section through the machine, taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2, with certain parts broken awayto expose structure underneath.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective of one of the fruit processing stations of the machine;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating a detail of the fruit centering and feed mechanism shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in section,

3 which illustrates the fruit centering and feed mechanism and its power train;

Figure 7 is a side elevation, partly in section, which illustrates the rotary fruit holding mecha` nism and its power train;

Figure 8 is a perspective of the top end of said fruit holding mechanism;

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a fruit-peeling knife;

Figure 10 is a bottom plan View of said fruitpeeling knife;

Figure 11 is a side elevation, partly in section, which illustrates the carriage for the peeling knives and the power train for said carriage;

Figures 12 and 13 are fragmentary side elevations of mechanism arranged to control the operation of the peeling knives, illustrating different operational positions thereof;

Figure 14 is a side elevation, partly in section, which illustrates the mechanism for cutting oi the stem end of a pear and the power train therefor;

Figures 15 and 16 are fragmentary plan views illustrating different operational positions of the stem-end-trimming knife that forms Part of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 14;

Figure 17 is a perspective of said stem-endtrimming knife;

Figures 18 and 19 are side elevations, partly in section, illustrating the seed-cell-removing mechanism and the power train for said mechanism in different operational positions;

Figure 20 is a fragmentary perspective of the power train for said seed-cell-removing mechanism;

Figures 21 and 22 are side-elevational detail views illustrating the seed-celling knife in different operational positions;

Figure 23 is a perspective illustrating the manner in which said seed-celling knife is mounted;

Figure 24 is a side-elevational view, partly in section, of the fruit-splitting mechanism and the power train therefor;

Figure 25 is a side-elevational view, partly in section, of mechanism arranged to support the fruit while it is split by the mechanism illustrated in Figure 24, and

Figure 26 is a phase diagram illustrating the sequence and duration of operation of the various fruit-processing mechanisms during a single operational cycle of the machine.

The machine illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises six ganged processing units A, B, C, D, E and F, which are of identical construction and which operate synchronously and in an identical manner to position, peel, trim, seed-cell, and core pears, and to cut off their stem ends and split them into halves. In the following description it will, therefore, be usually suiicient for an understanding of the construction and operation of the machine, to refer to one of said units only, except in those instances where corresponding ones of the various mechanisms comprised in the several units are arranged to be driven through a common power train and from a common source of power.

Having rst reference to Figure 1, which illustrates the first of said ganged processing units identified by the letter A in Figures 2 and 3, a pear to be processed by said unit is first placed with its calyx or blossom end down upon the front end of a horizontal feed or fruit-receiving plate 25 that is mounted upon an arm 26 which rises from an intermediate horizontal deck portion 21 of the stationary machine frame 28. To provide a proper seat for pears placed on said plate, a raised rim 29 of horse-shoe shape may be arranged along its rounded front edge, as more clearly shown in Figure 4. Opposing jaws 30 and 3| are positioned at either side of the receiving plate 25, and are arranged to grip the pear and slide it along the plate to the actual processing station that is located directly beyond the rear end of said plate and is marked by the letter P in Figures l and 4. Having reference to Figures 3 and 4, each of said jaws has inwardly diverging upper and lower clamps 32 and 33, respectively, which are displaced in a direction laterally of the receiver plate 25 with the upper clamps 32 closer approached to the center line of said plate than the lower clamps 33 so as to conform to the natural shape of a pear. The lower clamps 33 may form integral parts of their respective jaws but the upper clamps 32 are preferably formed on the inner ends of horizontally positioned bolts 34 that are slidably received in suitable apertures provided in risers 35 of said jaws, with coil springs 36 interposed between the clamps and said risers to yieldably urge said clamps toward one another to an extent determined by stop heads 31 arranged on the projecting outer ends of said bolts. The jaws 30 and 3| are firmly mounted upon the upper ends of vertical standards 38 and 39, respectively, which rise from suitable bosses formed in slide blocks 40 and 4|. Said slide blocks are supported for rotational as well as longitudinally sliding movement upon two horizontally extending guide rods 42 and 43 that extend below and parallel to the receiver plate 25 at either side thereof, with their ends suitably supported in bosses formed in the aforementioned intermediate portion 21 of the machine frame, as best shown in Figures l and 3. Means are provided to move the slide blocks 40 and 4| forwards and backwards upon the guide rods 42 and 43, with the jaws 30, 3| in closed or fruit-gripping position during their forward movement towards the processing station P, and in open or fruit-receiving position during their return movement to the rimmed front end of the receiver plate 25.

To urge the jaws 3D and 3| into closed position, a spring 44 is tensioned between the standards 38 and 39 and the slide blocks 40 and 4| are provided with enmeshed gear segments 45 and 40 to insure uniformity of any rotational movement 0E said blocks upon their guide rods 42 and 43 in response to the urging of said spring 44. Whenever the blocks 4G, 4| move toward the front end of the machine, however, they are latched in a position in which the jaws are in open or fruitreceiving condition. For this purpose a horizontal ledge 41 is rigidly supported from a downwardly extending arm 48 of the aforementioned intermediate deck 21 of the machine frame and extends below the level of the slide rods 42, 43 parallel to the plate 25 over a distance equal t0 the length of said plate, as best shown in Figure 5. One of the slide blocks, say block 4B, is provided with an arm 43a that carries a horizontal slipper plate 43 which is adapted to engage ands lide along the ledge 41. Whenever said slipper 49 overlies said ledge 41, the slide blocks 49, 4| are unable to follow the urging of the spring 44 and the jaws 30, 3| remain in open position. The front end of the ledge 41 is recessed, however, as shown at 50 in both Figures 4 and 5, and whenever the slide blocks are moved to the front end of the machine, the slipper 49 drops through said recess 50 from the ledge 41 and, thus, permits the spring 44 to pull the :standards 38 and 39 together, which closes the `Jaws vStand 3| onanyfruit `that may bepositioned linterniediately of Vsaid `iaws .at the Ymoment, as illust-rated in phantom 4lines in Figure 4. Thereafter, when the slide yblocks `are moved toward the Vrear end of the .plate '25, the slipper EB travels underneath the ledge 41 and as a result thereof the jaws remain closed. However, when the jaws have reached their rearmost position in which they hold the .pear beyond the rear end of the receiving plate 25, the slipper 49 has advanced beyond .the vlength of the 'ledge 41, and as the actual fruit preparing instruments enter into operation on the pear, a shelf l is arranged to rise from underneath the slipper 49 in a4 manner to be presently described and lifts said shelf 49 to its original level above the ledge 4l, which forces the jaws 33 and 3,! apart against the urging of the spring it.. As will presently appear, the shelf 5I is arranged to remain in 'its elevated position sufficiently long to cause the slipper liS to slide onto the upper surface of the ledge 4'! as the blocks llt, 4i `are withdrawn to the front end of 'the machine so that the `iaws 3G, 3l will remain in open or fruitn receiving position during their return movement until the slipper 49 reaches, and drops again through, the recess 5B at the front end of the ledge 47.

For moving the blocks 55 and lil in unison for- Wardly and `hackwardly on the guide rods i2 and 43, .each of said blocks is provided with an elongated slot 513 and through the slots 54 of all the slide blocks comprised in the machine extends a transverse ganging rod 55. Said transverse ganging rod is engaged vin the slotted upper ends of a `pair of actuating levers 5i which are firmly mounted upon a transversely extending horizontal shaft 58 that is rotatably supported from the pedestal 5S of the machine, as shown in Figures 1 and 6. A 'link pivotally connects one of said actuating levers 5'! to the lower end of a cam follower lever 62 which isjournalled on a transverse pivot shaft 53 that is suitably supported from the aforementioned intermediate deck 2l of the machine frame. Said lever 62 carries a cam follower roller 64, pivoted to an intermediate `point thereof, and said roller 64 engages the edge of a control cam $5 under the force of spring means 65a tensioned, for instance, between one of the actuating levers 5l and a suitably positioned stationary point of the machine frame, as shown in Figure 6. The control cam 65 is firmly mounted upon a shaft 66 that extends transversely of the machine and which is suitably journalled in side members 6l and 6B of the machine frame 28, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. As will appear from thef'following descriptionof the machine, said shaft 66 carries the motion-control cams yof vall the fruit processing implements comprised in the machine and will, therefore, be hereinafter referred to as the main or program shaft of the machine. It may be driven through an appropriate clutch and a reduction gear train (not shown) from any suitable source of power, such as for instance, an electric motor (likewise not shown).

The major portion of the control cam 65 is of circular contour, as indicated at 65, except for a solitary lobe 'l0 which is directly followed by a depression H of relatively short duration, and the control cam 65 is mounted in such an angular position upon the program shaft 66 that at the beginning of each operational cycle of the machine its lobe 'l0 engages the roller 64 which holds .the described train of .links and .levers in fthe backward position illustrated in full lines iinFigure 6 in which the jaws 30, 3| are held fat the front or fruit-receiving end Aof their respective fruit-receiving plates 25 against the `urging of the spring 65a, and wherein they close to grip any fruit that may be supported upon the horse shoe rim 29 thereof, in the vmanner previouslyfdescribed. As the program shaft 66 turns in Aclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 6, the roller 64 drops from the lobe y'IIJ into the depression 'H permitting the described mechanism to advance rapidly under the force of the spring means 65a into the position shown in broken lines yin Figure 6 wherein the clamps of the jaws holds gripped fruit within the focal point rl (Figure `ll) of the actual fruit processing operations, with the center axis of said fruit extending a limited distance rearwardly of lthe -ooncave rear edge of `the fruit-receiving piate 25. When the jaws 30, 3| are in this position the aforementioned shelf 5i becomes effective to open said jaws and release the .gripped fruit. vimmediately thereafter the cam follower roller 64 climbs upon the circular sector 69 of the cam B5 and causes said jaws to withdraw in `open condition from the rear end of the plate 2li-and dwell over the major part of each operational cycle of the machineat-an intermediateposition adjacent to the center region of said plate to affordan operator the maximum possible time for placing a new pear upon the rimmed front end of said plate. At theend of each operational cycle, however, the roller 64 encounters again the lobe Ill and kcauses the yjaws to move in open condition to the front end of the plate 25 where they close automatically on any `fruit positioned on said plate in the manner previously described.

During the short interval when vthe jaws 30 and 3i hold a pear 'with its vertical main axis positioned a limited distance beyond the rear end of the receiver plate 25, means collectively identified with the reference numeral 'i9 enter into operations which impale the pear from belov.7 along its main axis and which maintain 'said pear at the level vdetermined. by the plate 25, after Ithe jaws have released their hold thereon, and

spin it rapidly around its main axis. For this purpose a tube 80 (Figures 7 and 25) is mounted for vertically sliding movement within a cylindrical aperture '8i provided in the aforementioned horizontal decl: portion 2i of lthe machine frame, with its upper vend normally disposed below the .level of the fruit receiving plate 25, and concentrically received within said tube '80 for rotational as well as axially sliding movement relative thereto, is another tube 32. Mounted upon the upper end of said last Vmentioned tube 82, within the first mentioned tube Sii, is a plug 83 from which rises concentrically an open ended tubular stem `85 that carries upon its upper -end a plurality of radially projecting fins 86 in the form of semi-circular straps. Supported from the converging upper ends vof said fins is an axial? 1y extending point or spike tl, and though fitting within the outer tube 8i), as shown, said fins 36 are of such size and conformation as to define an intermediate spheroidal `space at least equal in size to the maximunnsized seed cell of the fruit for which the machine is designed. In the 'preferred embodiment of .my invention, as illustrated in Figure 8, the stem 85 carries four such yfins 85 arranged in two vertical planes positioned normal to one another and the upper arcuate edges 86a of the fins 86 may be sharpened in the man- 7 ner of knives so that they may readily penetrate into the body of the fruit.

During operation of the machine the described implement 19 is held in a continuous state of rotation about its center axis. Having specific reference to Figure l, which shows the device 19 comprised in the rightmost one of the fruit processing units (as viewed from the feed end of the machine) the lower end of the tube 82 is slidably keyed to a hub 9| for vertical movement relative to said hub and bolted to said hub is a gear 92 to which rotary power may be applied through a suitable train of gears (not shown) from the same source of power that drives the program shaft 56 or any other suitable source of rotary power. To rotate all the devices 19, comprised in the machine, in unison a sprocket 94 is bolted to the hub 9| of every one of the tubes 82 and all the sprockets 94 comprised in the machine are operatively connected by a common sprocket chain 95 (Figures 1 and 2).

To elevate the described implements 19 into their operative positions, a flanged hub 91 rmly secured to each of the rotating tubes 82 is rotatably supported within a bearing block 98 (Figure 7) and all the bearing blocks 98 comprised in the machine are loosely mounted upon a transverse gauging shaft 99. Said shaft 99, in turn, is supported in the slotted ends of a pair of levers (only one of which is visible in Figure '7) that are loosely journalled on the above mentioned program shaft 66. Keyed to said program shaft adjacent to each lever |00 is a control cam |0|, the edge of which is engaged by a cam follower roller |02 pivoted to the end of an arm |03 that turns on a transverse pivot shaft |04 which is rotatably supported from the intermediate deck portion 21 of the machine frame. An interponent |05 pivotally connected between the roller-carrying end of the arm |03 and an intermediate point of the lever |00 effectively transmits the variations in the position of the roller |02 against the urging of a spring |06, that may be tensioned between one of the blocks 91 and a suitable point of the machine frame. The lever |00 in this manner varies the elevational position of the implements 19 in accordance with the variations in the contour of the cam |0|. Each of said control cams |0| has a single depression |01 of less than 90 in angular width corresponding to a position of the rotary holding implements 19 in which they are retracted with the points of their spikes 81 disposed ush with or slightly below the level of the fruit receiving plates 25, as shown in full lines in Figure 7. The remaining portion |08 of the cam is of circular contour corresponding to a position in which the ns 86 of the holding implements are raised a limited distance above the level of the fruit receiving plates 25, as shown in broken lines in Figure 7. In constructing a machine in accordance with my invention this distance must be carefully predetermined depending upon the type of fruit that is to be processed by the machine, so that the ns 86 will, in their uppermost position, encircle the seed cell of the fruit as it is held by the jaws and 3| with its bottom end at the level of the fruit receiver plate 25. For instance I have found that in pears, that are used for canning, the center of the seed cell is always located about 7/8 of an inch above a fiat supporting surface on which the pear is placed with its calyx end down, Therefore, in machines intended to process pears I arrange matters in such a manner that the rotary holding implements 19 rise to an altitude wherein the center point 89 of the spheroidal space dened by the fins 86 is located V8 of an inch above the level of the fruit receiver plates 25.

By properly adjusting the angular position of the cam |0| on the program shaft 66 relative to the hereinbefore described jaw control cam 65, with the rollers |02 positioned near the counterclockwise end of the depression |01 when the program shaft 66 is in the full cycle position, the rotary holding implements 19 may be arranged to rise at the very moment when the jaws 30, 3| have moved beyond the rear end of the fruit receiving plate 25 and hold a fruit, with its calyx end down, directly above the spike 81.

It will be understood that the jaws 30, 3| must not release the fruit until it is properly impaled upon the fins of the rotary impeller 19, and in order that the fruit may follow, without injury to its interior or to its surface, the rotational momentum imparted to it by the rotating fins of the impeller implement, as said fins penetrate into its interior, the inner faces of the clamps 32 and 33 must be of a smoothly rounded contour and the strength of the spring 44 which effects the closing of the jaws must be so proportioned that while it is strong enough to cause the jaws to properly grip and center the fruit, it is not so strong as to obstruct rotation of the pears within the clamps. After a fruit has been fully impaled upon the impeller device, however, with the fins 86 surrounding the seed cell of the pear, it is time for the jaws to release the fruit, and in order that said release may be properly timed with the completion of the impeller-finimpaling operation, the aforementioned jaw-release shelves 5| are adjustably mounted by means of suitable stems |09 upon the same blocks 98 which raise the rotating tubes of the holding implements 19, such that said shelves will have lifted their respective slippers 49 back to the upper level of the ledges 41 at the very moment when the fins 86 of the rotary holding implements are properly impaled in the fruit.

Operating in each of the pear processing stations is a peeling knife ||0, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. Each of the peeling knives comprises a base bracket in the form of an arched member that is mounted upon the end of a rod ||2, as more clearly shown in Figures 9 and 10. The opposite ends of said arched member are bent laterally to form relatively inclined supporting shelves ||3 and H4. Adjustably mounted upon the supporting shelf ||3 at the free end of the arched member by means of screw bolts H5, is the peeling blade IIB the outer segment of which is slightly curved, as shown at |6a (Figure 10) and which projects with its cutting edge ||6b beyond the inner edge of said supporting shelf ||3 at the concave side of the arched base member I. Adjustably secured to the supporting shelf ||4 at the opposite end of the arched member by means of a screw bolt ||1 is an arched guard or guide plate ||8, the inner edge |8b of which terminates adjacent to, and slightly below, the edge ||6b of the peeling blade. As will readily be understood, the clearance between the edge of the peeling blade ||6 and the edge of the guard plate ||8 and the extent to which the edge of the former projects beyond the surface determined by the latter, establishes the thickness of the peeling removed by the described knife structure ||0 when said structure is held with said guard platev against the surface of a rotating pear.

kMeans are provided to yieldably urge the knife structure against the surface of a pear impaled upon the rotary holding device 13 and to raise said knife structure l gradually from the calyx end to the tip of the pear while turning it appropriately about a horizontal axis so as to maintain its guard plate i I8 in flat contact with the surface of the pear. For this purpose all the knife structures ||0 comprised in the machine are mounted for universal movement in a carriage composed of blocks mounted upon a transverse ganging rod |2| (Figures 1, 2 and 3) and said carriage is arranged to move from a lower to an upper position and return to said lower position during each operational cycle of the machine, and means are actuated by the defined movement of said carriage which appropriately control the angular position of said knives I i8 as their elevational position is varied. Having reference to Figures 1, 4 and l1, each of the knife-carrying rods ||2 is firmly mounted within a boss |22 formed on a bracket |23 that is rotatably supported upon a short shaft |24. fr

In the position illustrated in Figures l and 4 which represent conditions at the comniencement of an operational cycle, said shaft |24 lies substantially within a horizontal plane. Said shaft |24 is mounted in the end of an arm |-25 which depends from a bracket structure |26 that turns on a horizontal axle |21 disposed at right angles to the shaft |24 and supported at its rear end in the lower end of an arm |28 that depends from one of the aforementioned blocks |20 which slidably engage vertical tubular posts |3| of the machine frame 28 and which are mounted for movement in unison upon a transverse rod |2| as hereinbefore described. At an intermediate point of its length the mounting rod ||2 is received within the guide slot |32 of a guide frame |33 that extends radially of the axle |21 and is rigidly supported :from the bracket structure |26 at the front end thereof. In Figures 1 and 4 which, as pointed out before, are illustrative of conditions at the beginning of an operational cycle of the machine, the guide slot |32 lies in a vertical plane and extends downwardly from the axle |21, and a suitable torsion spring |35 coiled about the shaft |24 and connected between said shaft and the bracket |23 urges the rod l2 yieldably into the upper cor-ner of the guide frame |33. This posi-y tions the peeling knife Il ata level somewhat below the feed plate 25 and sufli'ciently removed radially from the rotational axis of the described rotary holding mechanism 19 to avoid interference with the impeller fins 86 when said fins are raised into operative position as hereinbe-v before explained; and said knife structure ||0 is secured to said mounting rod 2 in such a position, angularly of the axis of said rod, that its guard or guide plate ||8 and the cutting edge ||6b of its peeling blade HG are presented upwardly, as illustrated in Figures 1 and f1. f

Directly after the rotary holding mechanism 19 has been raised into operative position, in the manner hereinbefore explained, and has impaled a pear presented thereto by the jaws of the feed mechanism, means enter into" operation that raise all blocks I2@ from which the'peeling knives are supported. For this purpose a snail cam |38 is keyed upon the program shaft B6, as shown in `Figures 2 and 1l. The edge of said cam |38 is engaged by a roller |39 pivoted to the 10 free end of an arm |40 and said arml |40, is firmly mounted upon a sleeve `|4| that turns'on the aforementioned pivot shaft 63. Two arms |43 aresecurely mounted upon the sleeve 54| and engage with their forked free ends |44l studs |45, that rproject. laterally from vertical rods |46y which rise concentrically through two of the aforementioned tubular posts i3! of the Inan chine frame. The upper end of each of said rods projects above the'roof portion |41 of the'machne frame and is pivotally connected to one end of a lever |418', (ligurer 2) which is roy,- tatably supported from said roof at an interme-` diate point |49 of its length. The opposite en d of said lever is bent to project beyond the rear edge of said roof |41 and is pivotally, connected to an actuating rod |570', and both the rods |55 provided in the machine are pivotally connected to respective ones ofthe aforementianed blocks l2lllwhich, as hereinbefore described, arel connected for movement in unison by the transverse rod |`2 thatl carries all the remaining blocks |20.,y provided in the machine.

Thecontrol earn 4|33 is mounted in such @Blle lai` position upon the program shaft 66 that'its roller |39 engages the lowest point |52 of its edge at the beginning of each operational cycle of the machine, which locates the peeling knives |||1 into the low position illustrated in FiguresV 1,I and e, The initial sector |5301 the snail earri mais' of a very slight upwardg19fdent only which is effective to raise the edges Vof the straight inner segments 15a of the peeling knivesy I0 into oper-Y ative contact' with the calyx` endsv of'thefpearg-v by the time the pears have been impaled upon the holding implements 19, and gives themsuiiicient time tc peel the horizontal bottom surface of the pears as said pears are rotated byr said holding implenients.l Soon the cam follower' roller |33 e eoiinters markedly increasing radii |38 of the Sina-il cam 13S, however, which Causes the blocks |29 to, moyens-Wards, at a faster rate and raise the peeling lgnives |10 correspondingly. Means are provided to positively turn the mounting structure of each peelingV knife about its axlpy |21 the knives are raised by the upward movement of the blocks |25, S0 as to continuously adjust the position of the guard H S of each knife from the sbsjtantially horizontal position illustrated `in Figures 1 and lit@ positions parallel t0, ,the Chang# ing' contour of the pear, and at the same time said means are eifective to move each guide frame |33 from the vertical position illustrated 4in said Figures 1 and 4 into such angular positionsfas will enable the i 1.l ouri|:ingvrodf||2 toyield radially away from the center axis of the pear againstthe urging of the torsion spring |35 so as toadj'u'st the position of the peeling knife to the natural variations in the diameter of the pear, while maintaining it in operative cutting contact with the pear surface. For this purpose a triangular plate is rotatably mounted upon the axle |21 and is rigidly connected to the bracket structure |26.v The plate carries three studs |56, |51 and |58, respectively, each projecting laterally from one ofits three corners. Said studs are arranged to coact with a camming surface formed by a stationary member |6|"in'the shape of a tube segment that rises and is rigidly supported from the machine frame adjacent to each tubular post I |31. Said camming surface has the form of a rack segment, as best shown in Figures 4, 12 and 13, comprising a single centrallyposition tooth |62 situated between 'a lower and an upperdepression as and its', respectively. with the Varmadas) ll blocks |30 in their lowermost position, the stud |56 at the triangle base is located in the lower recessA |63 somewhat below the lower flank of the tooth |62 while the stud |51 at the apex of the triangle is located adjacent to and slightly below the apex |62a of said tooth |62. Said stud |51 is preferably longer than the studs |56 and |58 and its elongated end may be arranged to engage a laterally positioned vertical guide ridge |65 that is formed by the aforementioned member |6| and which terminates at the level of the apex |62a of said tooth |62, to prevent wabbling of the triangle |55 during the initial phase of its upward travel (Figure 12). As the operation of the snail cam |38 raises the peeling knife mounting assembly, the stud |51 rises above the tooth |62 while the stud |56, after a time suiicient for the knife to contact and peel the horizontal bottom surface of the pear, comes into contact with the lower flank |62b of said tooth |62 which cams it sideways and in this manner forces the triangular plate |55 and the frame structure |26 to turn on the axle |21 in counterclockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 12 to the position shown in Figure 13. As a result thereof the bracket |23, within which the mounting rod ||2 of the peeling knife is held, is swung in an arc in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, so that the fruit contacting face of the knife structure changes gradually from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position with the torsion spring |35 permitting the mounting rod ||2 to yield within the guide frame |33 radially away from the main axis of said pear depending upon the diameter of the pear body while at all times maintaining the peeling knife in proper operative contact with the pear surface. As the blocks |20 continue to rise and the stud |51 descends into the upper recess |64 and finally comes against the ascending flank |6411 of said recess, the triangular plate |55 is turned further in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 12 and 13, and as a result thereof the mounting rod ||2 of the peeling knife ||0 is swung further in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, until the third stud |58 strikes against the straight upper portion |66 of the camming surface |60. At this point further rotational move` ment of the knife mounting assembly is posir in an angular position removed from its original horizontal posibroken lines in Figure 13, and the cutting edge of the peeling knife bears fully with both its straight inner and its curved outer sector ||6a and ||6c, respectively, upon the slightly concave neck or shank portion of the rotating pear.

When a peeling knife of the type described operates on the neck or shank portion of a pear which is of an only slightly concave contour, the width of the peeling removed from the pear will be greater than what it is when the knife operates on the decidedly convex lower half of the pear body. Consequently the peeling knife may be raised at a faster rate when operating onthe upper half of a pear and accordingly the gradient of the snail cam |38 is arranged to become markedly steeper over its final sector, as indicated at |68 in Figure 1l. At a point shortly before the full cycle position of the snail cam, however, when the peeling operation has been completed, the edge of the snail cam |38 drops abruptly to the initial radius which i s effective to lower the peeling knives to their initial positions tively stopped by about 135 tion, as indicated in l2 slightly below the level of the feed plates 25 and restore their initial angular position so that the peeling mechanism is ready for another operational cycle.

Referring to Figures 1, 3, 4 and 11, it should be noted that the various posts |3| of the machine frame which are slidably engaged by the blocks |20 are laterally displaced from the main axis of their respective fruit-processing stations (as viewed from the front or rear end of the machine) and that the mounting rods ||2 extend obliquely to the opposite side of their respective pear processing stations so that the peeling knives engage the pears at points angularly displaced from a transverse vertical plane, containing the main axes of the various fruit processing stations, toward the rear end of the machine by an angle of about 30 degrees. I have found such an arrangement to be advantageous since it reduces the danger that the peelings shaved from the pears by the operation of the peeling knives may become entangled and interfere with the proper operation 0f the fruit preparing implements of adjacent fruit processing stations.

Coincident with the described peeling operation and while the peeling knife I0 operates still on the bulbous lower portion of the pear, means collectively identified by the reference numeral |69 become effective that slice off the tip or stem end of the pear which is diincult to peel. Said means comprise a narrow elongated blade |10 (Figures l, 4, 14 and 17) which, in its ineffective position, is held above the tip of a pear impaled upon the rotary holding device 19 and radially displaced from the rotational main axis of the pear processing station, Said blade |10 is arranged to drop temporarily to a level below the tip of the pear and swing within a substantially horizontal plane with its cutting edge |1| toward said main axis of the fruit processing station. For this purpose the blade |10 is secured to the under side of a spacer block |12 of appropriate height and secured t0 the upper surface of said block is a feeler plate |13 which has somewhat the shape of a hatchet, as best shown in Figure 17, with its front portion arranged to project beyond the cutting edge |1| of the blade |10. The described assembly is rigidly supported from an arm |14 that turns on a horizontal pin |15 held in the end of a bracket |16I with a torsion spring |11 arranged to yieldably maintain the arm |14 in a substantially horizontal or slightly downwardly inclined position, as shown in Figures 4 and 14. The bracket |16 has the shape of an L, as best shown in Figures 15 and 16, and the tip of its bar |18 is formed into a guide loop |19 which slidably embraces a respective one of the aforementioned tubular posts |3| of the machine frame. Directly below and above the guide loops |19, each of said posts is engaged by the vertically spaced lower and upper segments and |8| of guide sleeves |82 that are mounted for movement in unison on a common transverse rod or bar |83, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. To lower and raise the described mounting mechanism for the stem-end trimming knives, a pair of cams is mounted upon the program shaft 66 (Figures 2 and 14) and held in engagement with the edge of each of said cams by means of a suitably arranged spring |86 is a cam follower roller |81 pivoted to an intermediate point of a lever |88 that is loosely journalled with one of its ends upon the aforementioned pivot shaft |04. The opposite end of each of the two levers |88 provided in the machine is forked, as shown at |89, and engages a stud |90 that projects Llaterally from a vertical-actuating rody I 9| which extends concentrically through a vertically aligned one of the tubular posts |3| of the machine frame. Rotatably supported upon the projecting upper endof each of the rods |9| is a lever |92 and one end of each of the levers |92 is pivotally supported from the roof |41 of themachine frame, as shown at |93, while the opposite end of each of said levers |92 projects beyond the rearend of said roof |41 and is operatively connected by an elbow linkage |94 to the aforementioned transverse ganging rod |83. Whenever thecam follower rollers |91 ride upon the circular sectors |95 of their respective control cams |85, the described trains of links and levers maintain the knives |69 positively in the ineffective elevated, position, shown in full lines in Figure 14, against the urging of springs |96 that are coiled around each of the tubular posts l3| and bear against the upper segments |8| of the sleeves |82. lh thisposition each trimming blade |10 is well above the tip of the largest-sized fruit, for whi-ch the machine is designed, and both, the trimming blade `|10 and its feeler plate |13, are laterally displaced from the main axis of their respective processing stations to stand clear of a splitting knife (shown phantom lines in Figure 14) Which operates in a vertical plane containing said main axis. as will be described hereinafter.

, Erovided in the edge of each of the control cams |95, within the first operational quadrant thereof, is va depression |91, and when the rollers |81 drop into said depressions, the fulcrum of the levers |92 on top of the actuating rods |9| lowered to the position shown in broken lines in Figure 14, As a result thereof the springs |99 are free to lower their associated trimming knife mountings and, as said mountings are lowered, means enter into operation that swing each trimming knife assembly |59 inwardly toward the center axis of its respective fruit processing station in two successive Steps. The first of said steps moves the feeler plate |13 into said main axis below the aforementioned splitting knife, .I

and thus during further descent of the trimming knife assembly |69 the projecting hatchet portion of said feeler plate |13 may contact the tip, and measure the height, of the pear underneath, while the cutting edge |1| of the trimming blade4 |10 is still kept away from the surface of the pear. vThe second step, however, turns the knife mounting assembly |69 suflciently further` for the cutting edge |1| of the trimming blade |16 to swing through to the rotational axis of the pear and slice the tip of the pear from the remaining pear body. To this end a camming surface |99 is formed in and along the upper end of each of the aforementioned stationary members |6| which form the peeling-knife-control rack Hic, and pivoted to the inner face of each of the brackets |16 is a roller 20D. Each of said rollers is held in engagement with a respective one of said camming surfaces |99 by means of a spring 2i| that is tensioned between the guide loop 419 of the bracket |16 and the gauging rod |83. The camming surfacesL |99 form each two distinct steps Zitti, and '294, as clearly shown in Figures 4, 12 and 13, and as the roller 209 comes against the upper one of said steps during downward movement of the trimming knife mounting assembly, said assembly is forced to swing from its initial angular position, as shown in full lines in Figure l5, to an intermediate position, shown in broken lines in said Figure l5 and in full lines lili 14 in Figure 16, wherein the feeler plate |13 has moved below the splitting knife into the center axis of the fruit processing station. In this posi-` tion the feeler plate |13 will contact, and be stopped by, the tip of a pear positioned underneath, as the trimming knife mounting assembly continues its downward journey, whereupon the arm |14 may swing upwards on its pivot pin |15 depending upon the height of the pear encountered. At the lower end of the downward journey of the trimming knife mounting assembly, the roller 289 encounters the second step 204 of the camming surface |99, which is effective to swing the trimming knife assembly |99 from the above described intermediate position shown in full lines in Figure 16 into the position shown in broken lines in said Figure 16, wherein the edge 1| of the blade |1|l reaches the'rotational axis of the pear and slices the tip with its stem froml the pear body. Due to the presence of the feelerthe cut is determinedby the depth of the spacer-y block |12 that separates the slicing blade |19 from the feeler plate |13. Furthermore, due to the fact that the edge of the slicing blade is arranged to advance only to the rotary axis of the pear-processing station, the section surface will never tilt to any appreciable degree, but will always lie substantially in a horizontal surface, varying in shape from an extremely shallow cone to an extremely shallow crater for pears of increasing height. When the rollers |81 climb back to the circular contours 95 of their respective cams |85 the described operations occur in the reverse order and direction and remove the knife assemblies |69 from the center axis of their respective processing stations and out of the path of the splitting knives so that the latter may operate freely in a manner to'be presently described.

It will be noted from Figures 11, 13 and 14 that the upper end of the range of movement of the blocks I 29, from which the peeling knives H9 are-supported and which engage and slide along` the tubular posts |3| of the machine frame, overlaps with the range of movement of the sleeves |82 which carry the trimming knives |69 and which likewise engage said tubular posts l 3 The pear-tip trimming operation occurs at the beginning of the peeling operation when the peeling knives operate still on the bulbous lower halves of the pears, as has been pointed out hereinbefore. Hence, during actual performance, the trimming knives |9 will in no way be interfered with by the motion of the peeling knife mounting mechanism. In the final phase of the peeling operation, however, when the sleeves |82 of the trimming knives are at rest in their elevated positions,

the rising blocks |20 of the peeling knives will come up against the sleeves |92 and due to the manner in which said sleeves are operatively connected to their actuating levers |92 by means of the aforementioned elbow linkages |94, the blocks |29 may raise said sleeves |82 against the urgency of the springs |95 as high as required for proper operation of the peeling knives, without upsetting the power train of the trimming knife mechanism. Having specific reference to `Figure lli,

each of said elbow linkages l 96 isV composed of an upper link 2535 and a lower link 296, which are pivoted together, as shown Vati2i1. kThe lower end of said upper link is provided at its outer edge with a flange 208 through which protrudes a set screw lilla rthatis arranged to engage theV outer edge of the lower link 206 and limit relative motion of said links on their common pivot 291 'to an angle of less than 180 degrees, so that said links are free to fold in one direction only. Thus, whenever the sleeves |82 of the trimming knives |69 are pushed upwards by the rising blocks |20 of the peeling knife carriage, the linkages |94 will simply fold on their pivot points 201, with said pivot points yielding away from the rear wall of the machine, without affecting the position of the remaining power train between the trimming knives |612 and the tiimming-knife-control cams Toward the end of the peeling operation means collectively identified with the reference number 209 enter into effect that carve the seed cell from the body of the pear. For this purpose a piston 2|0 mounted upon a vertical rod 2|| is slidably disposed within the rotating tube 82 of each rotary holding mechanism 19. Cut into the upper face of said piston is a diametrically extending groove or channel 2|2 and disposed within said channel is a block 2 I4 (Figure 23) One end of said block is pivotally supported from the side walls of the channel 2|2, as shown at 2|5 in Figure 24, while its opposite end rests upon an expansion spring 2|6 which is received within a suitable recess 2|1 in the bottom of the channel 2|2 and normally maintains the block 2|4 in an elevated substantially horizontal position, as shown in Figures 21, 22 and 23. Rising from the spring supported end of the block 2|4 is a stud 2|8 that has a rounded upper end, and mounted 1n and rising from the center of the block 2|4 coaxially with the rotating tube 82 of the rotary holding device 19 is the stem 2 |9 of a seed ceiling knife 220 which resembles a sickle in shape and is normally positioned within the tubular stem 85 of the impeller` fins 86 below the level of said fins, as illustrated in Figures 18, 19 `and 21. Means are provided to raise the seed-celling knife 220 from the defined retracted position relative to the impeller fins of the rotary holding mechanism 19 into operative position within the spheroidal space defined by said impeller iins 88. For this purpose the lower end of the piston rod 2|| extends below the lower end of the tube 82 and a spring 222 coiled around the projecting end of said rod is interposed between a block 223 secured to the bottom end of said rod and an apertured fitting 224 which closes the bottom end of the tube 82 and is slidably engaged by said rod 2| The spring 222 resiliently holds the rod 2|| and hence the knife 220 in a retracted position relative to the rotating tube 82 which is defined by a small stop flange 225 that is secured to the rod 2|| above the fitting 224 and which bears against said fitting under the urging of said spring 222. Whenever the rotary holding device 19 is raised at the beginning of each operational cycle of the machine under the iniiuence of the control cam as has been described hereinbefore, the seed-ceiling knife 220 is likewise raised in space by virtue of the fitting 224 engaging the flange 225 on the rod 2|| from below, as illustrated by a comparison of Figures 18 and 19, but the position of the seed-celling knife 220 relative to the fins 8S remains the same, as likewise illustrated by said Figures 18 and 19. Means are provided, however, which temporarily engage the rod 2|| during the second half of each operational cycle of the machine and raise the seedcelling knife 220 from its retracted position relative to the impeller fins 86, as shown in Figures 18, 19 and 21 into an elevated position 1n which 16 the seed-celling knife is situated within the spheroidal space oened by said impeller fins, as illustrated in Figure 22. For this purpose a cam 221 is keyed to the program shaft 86 and engages a roller 228 that is pivoted to the free end of an arm 225 which is firmly mounted upon the previously mentioned shaft |04. Suitable spring means 23| interposed between the arm 223 and a stationary point of the machine frame urge the i'oller 228 into engagement with the edge of the cam 221 such that the rotary position or' the shaft |04 is varied depending on whether' the roller engages a rise or a depression in the contour of said cani 221. Opposite to each pear processing unit comprised in the machine, a C-snaped link 232 is loosely Journalled on the shaft |04 and pivoted to the point of the lower horizontal bar 234 of said C-shaped link is a pair of' twin levers 235 that are rigidly connected for movement in unison, -as shown in Figure 20. The free front ends of said levers 235 are forked, as shown at 236, so that they may operatively engage a pair of studs 238 that project laterally in opposite directions from the aforementioned block 2|4 at the bottom end of each of the piston rods 2||. At the beginning of each operational cycle of the machine when the rotary holding device 19 is in the lowered position illustrated in Figure 18, the forks 238 are located adjacent to the lower end of the rotating tube 82, with the studs 238 at the lower end of the piston rod 2 positioned a distance below the level of both said tube and said forks. As the rotary holding device 19 is raised into operative position, however, the piston rod 2|| is likewise raised, as described above, and lifts the block 2|4 and its studs 238 to about the level of the forks 236, whereupon operation of the cam 221 brings the forks 236 into engagement with the studs 238 and thereafter causes said forks to lift the piston rod 2|| relative to the tube 82 so as to place the seed-celling knife 220 within the space defined by the impeller fins 86. For this purpose an arm 240 is firmly mounted upon the shaft |04 and suitably interposed between the under side of said arm and a shelf 24| formed by the C-shaped link 232 near its upper end is an expansion spring 242, and the end of said arm 240 is pivotally connected to the rear end of one of the twin levers 235 by an interponent 243. Whenever the shaft |04 is turned in clockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 19 and 20, as is the case when during operation of the program shaft 68 the roller 228 drops from the initial sector 244 of the control cam 221 upon the adjoining sector 245 which is of a smaller radius, the arm 240 presses downwardly upon shelf 24| of the C-shaped lever 232 and, if the spring 242 is sufficiently stiff to resist compression, urges the C-shaped link 232 to swing in clockwise direction on the shaft |04. This causes its lower point to describe a shallow and practically horizontal arc that is effective to engage the forks 236 with the studs 238, as shown in Figure 19. Said drop in the contour of the control cam 221 from its initial sector 244 of maximum radius to the adjoining sector 245 of appropriately smaller radius is timed to follow directly the elevation of the tubes 82 as effected by the control cam 55. To thereafter effect elevation of the seed-celling knife 220 into the spheroidal space within the impeller fins 86, the control cam 221 exhibits another and more pronounced drop in the final quadrant of its circumference to a sector 248 of still smaller radius, which causes the shaft |04 to turn still further in clockwise direction. The link 232 is now unable to yield-furtherponent 243 in clockwise. direction on their pivotaly connection with the link 232, and due to the location of said pivotal connection slightly above the level at which the forks 236 engage the studs 238, clockwise movement of said levers 235 causes their forks to raise the piston rod 2| l against the force of the spring 222 to the position shown in Figure 22, wherein the seed-celling knife 220 has left the tubular stem 85 of the impeller fins 8B and has entered the space defined by said ns. As the piston 2 I0 reaches its uppermost position within the tube 82 of the rotary holding device 19, the aforementioned upwardly directed stud 2I8 in the spring-supported end of the block 2|4 strikes against the plug 83 which closes the upper end ofthe tube 82. As a result thereof said block is depressed on its pivot 2I5 against the urging of the spring 2|6 which tiltsv the stern 2I8 of the knife 220 and moves the sickle-shaped blade of said knife with its convex side adjacent to the inner concave side of the rotating fins 86. As has previously been pointed out, said finsare so positioned within the body of the pear that they encircle its seed cell. Therefore, as the blade of the knife 220 moves in the described manner radially to the periphery of the space defined by the impeller iins, while said ns keep the impaled pear in rapid motion about its center'axis, the seed cell of the pear is reduced to a soft pulpy state and carved neatly out of the pear body and may, after the pear has been split in a manner to be presently described, readily be washed from the pear halves.

The depression 246 in the contour of the control cam 221, which effects the described elevation of the seed-celling knife into operative position, is of short duration only and from said depression the contour of the cam returns directly to a nal sector 249 of maximum radius which is, in fact, a continuation of the hereinbefore described initial sector 244. As the cam follower roller 228 climbs back to said sector 249, it turns the shaft |04 and the actuator arm 240 in counterclockwise direction. This counterclockwise movement of said arm 240 remains, at first, without eiect upon the C-shaped link 232 since the spring 242 will retain said link in its clockwise position until it has expanded to its normal condition. rThe counterclockwise movement of the arm 24U will, therefore, turn the twin levers235 in counterclockwise direction on their pivotal connection with the C-shaped link 232 which causes the forks 236 to withdraw the .piston 2l0 with the aid of the spring 222 to its retracted position relative to the impeller implement. Asa result thereof the curved outer edge of the seedcelling knife comes against the upper edgeof the tubular stem 85 of the irnpeller fins ywhich cams the knife back into its vertical position, whereupon it is retracted into the interior of said tubular stem.

After the spring 242 has regained its normal condition, further counterclockwise movement of the arm 24|) pulls the levers 235 and the c-shaped link 232 as a unit in counterclockwise direction and in this manner disengages the forks 236 from the studs 238 of the piston rod 2I| so that they rotating tube 82 of the pear holding device may at the end of each operational .cycleof the machine be lowered into itsv inoperative yposition without interferencefrom the. seed-ceiling-knife control mechanism.

With the pear peeled, trimmed and seedcelled, and Whilefthe hereinbefore described conf. trol cam operatespto withdraw the` fins 88 from the body of the fruit in downward direc` tion, means lenter into operation that split the fruit into two halves and remove the fibres that` extend from the `seed cell ofthe fruit to they For this purpose it is firstr stem end thereof. necessary thatthe fruit be properly supported during'the splitting operation. To this end the upper, edgeoi' thev aforementioned outer tube 80 is turnedinwardly to form a narrow flange 255,

and means are provided which elevate said tube lillk during the pear splitting operation to a position kwherein its flanged upperv end is ush with the fruit receiving plate 25. Having specific reference to Figure 25, a pair of cams 258 is firmly mounted upon the program shaft 66 and each of said cams engages with its edge a roller` 259y that ispivoted to the end of an arm 260 which is journalled on the aforementioned pivot shaft |34. An interponent blk pivotally con-y nects the roller-bearing end of said arm 26|]` with an intermediate point of a lever 262 ythat is loosely journalled with one of its ends upon the program shaft 66 while its other end is pivotally connected to a link 263. Both the links 263vprovided in the machine engage pvotally ,a transverse ganging rod .-264 that extends through apertured ears 265 which proiectradially from the lower ends of kthevarious tubes comprised in the machine. shape except for solitary lobes 266 the angular position of which is sor adjusted upon the pro-V gram shaft 68 relative to the other cams driveny by said shaft, `that they will raisethe tubes 80,

from the .position shown in full lines in Figure 25 to the position shown in broken lines in said Figure 25 in thenal .phase of each operational cycle of the machine. In said last mentioned position the flanges 255 positively support the fruit at the level of the feed plates 2lik as and after the fins 86 of the rotary holding devices 19 are removed from the body of the fruit.

The actual splitting means has the form of a knife1210 (Figure 24) composed of two `blade sections 21| and 212fwhich yextend radially from a central tube 213 of circular cross-section at diametrically opposite points thereof. Said knife is mountedfabove and in coaxial alignment with they main axis ofythe fruit-processing station .P for vertically reciprocating movement fromA a position wherein its downwardly directedy cutting edge is locatedfabove the focal .space of the pear preparing operations, as shown in full ysaid guide rod is rigidly held. rhe diameter oi said guide rod is reduced at its lower end to form a downwardly projecting cylindrical ramrod 219 of a size to t slidably into the tube 213 and whichextends all the wayvdown to the bot- Vtom endof said tube when the knife 210 is in The .cams k258` are of circular the elevated position shown in full lines in Figure 24. The upper guide loops 211 of all the splitting knives 21u comprised in the machine are connected for movement in unison by a transverse ganging rod 28| (Figure 2) which is engaged in the slotted ends 282 of a pair of actuating levers 283 that are rotatably supported from the roof |41 of the machine Ira-me by suitable brackets 284. The opposite ends of said actuating levers are pivoted to the upper ends of rods 285 that extend downwardly through respective ones of the tubular posts |31 of the machine frame. The lower end of each of said rods 285 is provided with a laterally projecting stud 281 that engages the forked end 288 of an arm 289. Both the arms 289 provided in the machine are firmly mounted upon the repeatedly mentioned pivot shaft 63. Likewise, mounted upon said pivot shaft 63 for rotation therewith is another arm 290 the free end of which carries a cam follower roller 292 that engages the contour of a control cam 293 which is keyed to the program shaft 66. Said cam 293, like the cams 258, is of uniformly circular shape except for a solitary steep sided lobe 294 which is located at a point in rotary alignment with the aforementioned lobes 266 or the cams 258 and with the clockwise half of the solitary depression |01 formed in the control cams |08 of the rotary holding mechanisms 19. Thus, whenever the cam follower rollers |02 of said last mentioned mechanism drop into the depressions |01 of the control cams |u8 and cause the fins 86 of the holding devices 19 to be withdrawn from the fruit, the cam follower rollers 259 ascent the lobes 266 of their respective control cams 258 and raise the flanged upper ends of the tubes 80 to support the fruit; and at the same time the cam follower roller 292 ascends the steep lobe 294 of the control cam 293 and pushes the rods 285 abruptly in upward direction which causes all the knives 210 to descend rapidly and split the fruit situated upon the flanges 255 into two halves which fall on either side of said knives onto suitable slide chutes (not shown). At the same time the tubes 213 of the knives 210 carve the cord of stem bre strands from the interior of the pears and as the roller 292 drops from the lobe 294 of the control cam 293 in the final moments of each revolution of the program shaft 66 and returns the knives 210 to their elevated positions above the actual pear processing space P, the stationary ramrods 219 enter the tubes 213 and eject the fibrous matter that collected therein during the down-stroke of the splitting knives. The fibrous matter, thus ejected from the tubes 213, drops on to the same chutes that carry away the prepared pear halves and, like the core pulp, may be separated from said pear halves by jets of water, brine or some other suitable solution.

The sequence and relation of the operative phases of the mechanisms comprised in each of the fruit processing stations of the machine of my invention for each revolution of the program shaft 66 is illustrated in the phase diagram shown in Figure 26. In said diagram the initial and full-cycle position of the program shaft is marked by the radius and each of the seven concentric circles represents one of the mechanisms comprised in a fruit processing unit, with the arcs drawn in thin lines indicating the idle phases and the arcs drawn in heavy lines indicating the operative phases, while the arcs drawn in wave lines mark the time required for the fruit processing 20 implements to move from their positions of rest to effective positions and vice versa.

The outermost circle 30| represents the operation of the fruit gripping and centering jaws 30, 3| and its heavy arc 30|b indicates that the jaws grip the fruit at the beginning of each operational cycle and deliver it to the fruit processing station while the program shaft turns over only about 12 of its full operational cycle of 360, whereupon the jaws move back to an intermediate position along the fruit receiving plate 25, as indicated by the arc 30Ic, where they remain in open condition until shortly before the end of the cycle when they move back to the front end of the plate 25 to grip a new fruit, as indicated by the arc 30la. Thus, the ja'ws remain at rest for more than 330, as indicated by the arc 30|d before they return to grip a new fruit leaving, in fact, 350 of the full operational cycle of the machine to an operator to properly place a new fruit upon the receiver plate 25. Assuming each operational cycle of the machine to last only about 5 seconds, an operator has almost all of said 5 seconds to feed a new pear to the particular processing unit, which is far more than what he needs to properly position a new fruit upon the front end of the receiver plate Hence, the operator may attend to several synchronously operating processing units at the same time so that the fruit-processing units of my invention lend themselves particularly well to ganging into multiple machines, such as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, that may be attended to by a single operator.

The second circle 302 represents the operation of the rotary fruit holding mechanism 19 and indicates by the position of its operative phase 302D that the holding ns 86 of said mechanism penetrate into and begin to rotate the pear as the jaws release and move away from the fruit. The rotary fruit-holding mechanism 19 remains in operative condition and rotates the pear about its main axis over more than 315 of the total opera-v tional cycle of 360.

The effective phase of the peeling knife H0 whose operation is represented by the third circle 303, commences at practically the same point as. the operational phase of the rotary holding mech* anism and lasts almost as long, as indicated by a comparison of the arc 303D with the arc 302D.

The fourth circle 304 represents the operation of the mechanism for cutting off the tip of a pear and its wave line arc 304a indicates that said mechanism moves into operative position as soon as the pear is being impaled upon the rotary holding device 19. As indicated by the adjoining arc 304D, it operates to slice off the tip of the pear in the very early moments of the peeling operation, when the peeling knife is still at the bottom of the pear, and has long returned to its position of rest, represented by the are 304d, by the time the peeling knife reaches the shank or neck of the pear in the nal moments of the peeling operation.

The fifth circle 305 represents the operation of the seed-celling mechanism 209 and shows by the position of its active phase 3051 that the actual seed-celling operation occurs entirely within the operative phase of the peeling mechanism.

The sixth and seventh circles 306 and 301, respectively, represent the operation of the mechanisms involved in splitting and coring the fruit. Circle 306 represents the operation of the fruit support /255 and its heavy arc 30Gb indicates that said support takes over the task of support,-

ing the lfruit directly after the peeling opera-tion is completed and asthe fins 86 of therotary holding device 19 withdraw from the body of the pear. The circle 301 represents the oper-ation of the pear splitting and 4coring implement 210 and its heavy arc 301D marks the down strokeof said implement which occurs While the fruit issupported by the mechanism 80/255 directly after the fins 86 of therotary holding mechanism ,'19 have been withdrawn. The ladjoining sector 301e drawn in a Wave line rmarks the return stroke -ofy the pear splitting; and coring implement 210 toits elevated position which reconditions Vrsaid implement for renewed use by ejecting the cord of stem fibres from the tube 213 thereof.

Due to the fact that all the fruit-processing implements of the described rmachine lare .arranged to operate on the fruit with the fruit "remaining in one and the same location and posi tion, as provided for in accordance .with my invention, the stem-end-cutting-of and the seede celling operationsmay be arranged .to occur coincident with the peeling operation, as described hereinbefore, and the fru'it-coring operation may. be accomplished at the same time and by the saine implement as the fruit-splitting operation, as likewise described hereinbefore. In view of this telescoping of the various fruit-preparing operations and the complete absence of any transfer Voperations to different .fruit r'processing stations, lthe total time consumed by al1 the fruit preparing operations is materially. shorter than in any of the known fruit-processing .machines of comparable performance, and all the fruit preparing implements may be actuated from a single driveshaft and -the complete fruitpreparing process accomplished by a single revolution of said shaft, as above described and though the time taken by each operational cycle of the machine may be materially shorter than previously possible, the time alloted to the fruitpeeling operation may actually be longer than in machines with operational cycles of far greater duration, since the peeling operation of the described lmachine may last over of its total operational cycle, as demonstrated by the sector 3.031) of the phase diagram, without crowding any of the other fruit-preparing operations. As a result thereof the fruit may be rotated at a relatively slow rate during the peeling operation and the peeling may yet be accomplished with a greater number of turns of the pear than'practised at present, which permits the use of peeling knives having only a single curvature, as described hereinbefore, and Without missing' any portion of the fruit surface While maintaining the thickness of the peelings at a minimum. Furthermore, due to the aforementioned absence of any fruit transfer operations and due to the fact that the fruit is seed-celled while in a state of rotation without being gripped by jaws or clamps, bruising and other injuries to the fruit which impair its market value are held at a minimum. Moreover, due to the .fact that in accordance with my invention the 'fruit .is processed while impaled upon a holdingdevice in `its na-A tural upright position with 'its Aheavy calyx end down, there is no danger that soft specimens may drop from the holding device so that my machine will operate satisfactorily on soft and hard fruit specimens alike. Last but not least, the mechanism for cutting off the stem end of the fruit, as comprised in the machine of my invention, enables the machine to properly pro-A cess fruit disregarding variations the height of theindividualspecimens, soth'atitis iio'v'longlrl necessary to grade the fruitbeforefeedingit to the machine.

While I have described my invention with .the aid of a specic embodiment thereof, it will be understood that I do not Wish to be limited -to the particular constructional details shown and described which may be departed from without departing from thescope and 'spiritof my inven-zV tion.

I claim:

1. Mechanism for cutting oif the stem end' ofy pears and like'fruit to a predeterminedA depth irfl respective of variations in the height of .thefruia including in combinationmeans adapted to hold and operable to rotate thefruitabout a vertical axis in its natural position Awith its calyxyend down and its main` axisr substantially aligned with the axis of rotation; a knife structure-disposed above a fruit held by said holding .means in. the defined position, and comprisinga ,bladehaving a cutting edge anda feeler member supported from and a .predetermined distance above saidL bladesaid member having an extension project ing laterally beyond the cutting edge of` said blade; means operable coincident with rotation of said holding means to lower said knife str-ucture in a position wherein its'extension is intersected by the axis of rotation of said holding means and its cutting edge isv laterally displaced from said axis until said extension comesfinto contact with the tip of the fruit and .meansJop-v erable upon such contact, and whilesaid holding means is still effective torotate :the fruit, to move said knife structure laterally until v:its :cutting edge reaches .said axis fof rotation.

2. Mechanism according to claim Il, 'wherein said knife `structure is supported by an :arm that is mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, and including spring means arranged to yieldably hold said vvarm in a substan` tially horizontal position.

3. Arrangement for receiving and holding va fruit such vas a pear, Ian apple `or thelike in its natural position with its calyx -end down and 'its'.

main axis extending vertically, including inl cornbination ia substantially horizontally positioned fruit-receiving plate, an impaling implement 4dis--v posed a limited distance beyond the rear edgecf said plate and comprising la vvertically positioned stem, a vplurality of arcuate fruit i-mpaling Vfins supported vfrom the `upper end of said stemfalong the circumference thereof said fins having an\external diameter transversely of the `stem axis substantially less than that `of a -fr-uit to be im paled thereby, said iins being formed landarranged to leave an internal space of a size fand conformation adapted -to accommodate the seed cell of the particular type of fruit vfor which `the mechanism is designed, vmeans operable to car-ry a fruit slidably alongand beyond said plate with its calyx end supported Vupon ksaid lplatefuntil the main raxis of the fruit is vertically aligned with the axis of said implement, and meanswoperable 'to raise .said implement from a retracted position Whereinsaid .lineare rdisposed below the level of said plate to an elevatedposition wherein` said fins have penetrated .axially of said fruit -and encircled the seed cell of a fruit `held beyond the end of said plate in the above dened position.

4. Arrangement for receiving `and .holding a pear in its natural position 'with .its calyx end down and its main axis extending vertically, including in combination :a :substantially horizontally positioned fruit-receivingfplate, an impaling implement disposed a limited distance beyond the rear edge of said plate and comprising a vertically positioned stem, a plurality of arcuate fins supported from the upper end of said stem along the circumference thereof and arranged to leave an internal space of a size and conformation adapted to accommodate the seed cell of a pear, said fins having an external diameter transversely of the stem axis substantially less than that of a fruit to be impaled thereby, means operable to carry a pear` along and beyond said plate with its calyx end supported upon said plate until the main axis of the pear is vertically aligned with the axis of said implement, and means operable to raise said implement from a retracted position wherein said fins are disposed below the level of said plate to an elevated position to penetrate the pear along its main axis to a distance wherein the center point of the space defined by said fins is located about of an inch above the level of said plate.

5. Arrangement for receiving and holding a pear, apple or like fruit in its natural position with its calyx end down and its main axis extending vertically, including in combination a substantially horizontally positioned fruit-receiving plate; an impaling implement disposed a limited distance beyond the rear edge of said plate and comprising a vertically positioned stem, a plurality of fins in the form of semi-circular straps with cutting edges on the upper ends thereof supported from the upper end of said. stem along the circumference thereof and arranged to enclose a space of a size and conformation adapted to receive the seed cell of the particular type of fruit for which the mechanism is designed said fins being of an extent insufficient to sever a fruit impaled thereon with its seed cell within said space, and a spike mounted upon the converging upper ends of said fins in coaxial alignment with and terminating short of said stem; means operable to carry a fruit along and beyond said plate with its calyx end slidably supported upon said plate until the main axis of the fruit is in vertical alignment with the axis of said implement; and means operable to raise said iml plement from a retracted position wherein said spike is disposed below the level of said plate to an elevated position wherein said spike has penetrated said fruit along its main axis to lie wholly beyond the seed cell of the fruit and said fins have penetrated into and encircle the seed cell of a fruit held beyond the end of said plate in the above defined position.

6. A mechanism for seed-celling pears, apples and like fruit, including in combination holding means for the fruit comprising a rotary tubular stem, a plurality of fruit impaling fins supported from said tubular stem to rotate therewith and arranged along substantially radially planes to enclose a space, intermediately thereof, of a size adapted to accommodate the seed cell of the fruit for which the mechanism is designed, said fins having an external diameter to lie wholly Within a fruit impaled thereon, means operable to rotate said holding means about its axis, a seed-celling knife mounted for axial and relative rotative movement within said tubular stem, and means operable to move said knife from a retracted position to a position within the space defined by said fins.

'7. A mechanism for seed-celling pears, apples and like fruit, including in combination holding means for the fruit comprising a tubular stem, a plurality of arcuate fins supported from an end of said tubular stem and arranged along substantially radial planes to enclose a space of a size adapted to accommodate the seed cell of the fruit for which the mechanism is designed, means operable to rotate said holding means about its center axis, means for impaling a fruit along its main axis upon said stem to enclose the seed cell of the penetrated fruit within said ns, a seedceiling knife mounted for relative axial and rotative movement within said stem, means operable to move said knife from a retracted position axially beyond said fins to a position within the space defined by said fins, and means mounted to move said knife radially away from the center axis of said tubular stem to sweep the space enclosed by said fins and sever the seed cell therefrom.

8. A mechanism for seed-celling pears, apples and like fruit, including holding means for the fruit comprising a tubular stem, a plurality of arcuate ns with sharpened outer edges supported upon and projecting radially from the outer end of said tubular stem along the circumference thereof and arranged to define an intermediate space of a size adapted to receive the seed cell of the fruit for which the mechanism is designed, means for penetrating a fruit along its main axis with said ns and said stem to enclose the seed cell of the fruit within the space defined by said fins, means operable to rotate said holding means about its center axis, a seed-celling knife mounted for relative rotative movement within the space defined by said fins, and means operable to move said knife from a position within said tubular stem to a position adjacent the inner edges of said fins during rotation thereof to sever the seed cell from the fruit.

9. A mechanism according to claim 8 wherein said knife is of sickle-shape and is arranged to move with its outer convex edge adjacent to the inner concave surface defined by the rotating fins.

10. Mechanism according to claim 8 wherein said knife is mounted upon a lever moveable about a pivot normal to the axis of stem rotation and comprising spring means arranged to yieldably maintain said lever in a position in which said knife is vertically aligned with said tubular stem, and means engaging said lever upon elevation of said knife to vary its pivotal position against the urging of said spring means.

1l. Mechanism for seed-ceiling pears, apples and like fruit including in combination a substantially horizontally disposed fruit-receiving plate having a front end and a rear end, feed means carrying fruit with its calyx end down and in contact with the upper surface of said plate `from the front end to and beyond the rear end thereof; holding means arranged adjacent to the rear end of said plate comprising a vertically positioned tubular stem, a plurality of arcuate fins projecting radially from the upper end of said tube circumferentially thereof and arranged to define an inner space adapted to accommodate the seed cell of a fruit of the type for which the mechanism is designed; means operable to raise said holding means from a position wherein said fins are disposed below the level of said plate to a position above the level of said plate wherein said fins have impaled, and encircle, the seed cell of a fruit held by said feed means beyond the rear end of said plate; a seed-celling knife mounted within the tubular stem of said holding means independently thereof; means operable to turn said holding means about its vertical center axis; means 

